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If preflighting on the water
having the plane pulled up beside a dock with a wing overhanging it
allows access to most of these areas. Because the SeaRey is a pusher remember to replace
your rad and oil caps, and carefully check your exhaust springs etc.
Anything that comes off the engine in flight is going to come incontact with a very large spinning propeller!
All of the system control cables, push rods, and control
linkages are out in the open for ease of preflight, maintenance, and
inspection. All of
the control movement points in the wing are also accessible for
preflight and maintenance via removable view ports.
The hull should be checked for water. If any is
present it is easily and quickly removed by turning on the small 12 volt
electric bilge pump located in the lowest section of the hull.
You fuel the SeaRey from outside the cockpit via a
fuel inlet located just behind the pilots seating area. The Rotax 912
series of engines uses automotive fuels so when flying cross country
fuel can be obtained at any marina.
If the plane has been sitting for a month or so it is
always best to turn the engine over by hand seven or eight times, before
using the starter. Oil will sometimes settle in the rear cylinders if it
does, this will help move it back into the oil tank.
When flying a float plane I like wear an inflatable
style of vest. In case of an emergency exit I have found these less
likely to impede a quick exit. You should also have a couple of paddles
on board, to help in docking and maneuvering in close quarters. A length
of rope will also come in handy, that you can throw out for someone to
grab or pull you in with.
Now that we’ve done our preflight we can
board. I will be flying from the right hand seat and you from the left.
Grasp the door knob at the bottom of the door and slide your down
rearward until it hits the door stop. If you are short, while looking
into the cockpit put your left foot up on the tire, support yourself
with your right hand on the upper console, now step onto the seat with
your right foot, slide you other foot in and then slip down into the
seat.
If you are taller you
will be able to step right in on the floor boards with your right foot and then
slide your left leg in and slip into the seat. The seats will take a
little getting use to as they are a sling style seat. You will also find
that you are more comfortable laying back into the seat rather than
trying to sit upright in it.
Since we will be
flying on water we should each have a lifejacket on, I prefer the
inflatable style. Down each side of the hull we should also each have a
short paddle. We will go over the procedure for exiting the plane in an
emergency.
First we will be
taking off and landing with the doors slid back. These can be closed,
flown with wide open or in any position we want them to be in flight,
without affecting the handling of the plane. But taking off and landing
with them open allows us a quicker exit in case of an emergency.
Next let’s fasten our
seat belts and shoulder harnesses, and hook up and turn on our intercom.
Now engage the choke, it is located just above your head in the center
console, turn the master and the two ignition switches on.
Check the area around the plane for people, pets, etc. YELL CLEAR PROP.
Wait a second or two then engage the starter.
The 912S will jump to
life after about 4 revolutions. Ease the choke off slowly, until the
engine will run without it. While we wait for the engine to warm up lets
go over a couple of things.
The oil pressure will
normally start out around 80 to 85 lbs and then drop down to about 55
during flight. The oil temperature will be running around 230 degree F,
the water temp will come in around 200, and the egt’s will sit around
1450.
We are taking off
from land, with a brisk 90 degree crosswind, which we will have to
adjust for. Another thing we will have to adjust for is the phenomenal
amount of torque that the engine and prop will be developing, and the
fact that the engine is overhead and behind us.
Okay the engine is up
to operating temperature, oil pressure is good, let’s do a mag check.
Pull on the brake handle on your joystick, this will engage both brakes,
and will hold us in position for a mag check of 3500 rpm. Anymore than
that and the engine will start lifting the tail, to be on the safe side
hold a little rear pressure on the stick.
That drop of 300 rpm
between ignitions is normal and nothing to worry about. We have to taxi
down to the other end of the runway to take off. This will give you a
little time to get use to the sling seats, center mounted throttle lever
and the tail wheel steering.
You will find steering a little
awkward at first, and with the crosswind will require more rudder than
you might be use to if flying a conventional trigear arrangement.
Okay swing her around
and set up for take off, not to fast or you could break the tail wheel
free from it's locked position which could result in a ground loop.
Reach up between the seats and deploy two
notches of flap. (electric flaps are also available.) With two of us on
board and full fuel, lets trim her about half way.
If you were flying
her by yourself and you are light say around 165 to 170 lbs you would
use the electric trim on the joystick to trim full up. The SeaRey is
trimmed by moving the horizontal stabilizer up and down. Moving the
stabilizer down will lift the nose, while raising it will lower it. For
lighter pilots and loads you will normally lift it, while for heavier
pilots and loads you will lower it.
Okay we’re ready to
go. Now bring the stick to neutral and then back about and inch, while
holding a little back pressure on the stick slowly advance the throttle until she starts to move, then bring
it up to full power. Use the stick to keep the plane in a three point
stance.
You will also find
pressure on the rudder pedals and will be working to keep the old girl
going straight down the runway. While at the same time feeding in
aileron on to take care of the crosswind.
After about 250 feet
and around 45 mph the old girl will lift off, keep her in ground effect
and let her pick up a little speed. At about 65 start a nice gentle
climb out, at about 500 feet drop one notch of flap, she will settle
down a little, now drop the second notch. Okay lets slide the doors
shut.
Now glance at the
airspeed and you will find it is reading 80 mph, while your vsi
indicates a climb rate of 650 feet per minute at 5500 rpm.
Not bad for old girl
of nearly 1400 lbs, on 100 HP on an 80 degree day in mid July!
Okay your at 1500
feet let’s level her off and bring her back to 5,000 rpm. She will
settle in at 80 to 85 mph. There is a little pressure on the stick.
Before we trim her out lets raise the gear.
The SeaRey has two
styles of retract, manual and electric. For manual operation you will reach up under the center of the dash and grab
onto the gear retract handle. Pull back on the brake lever on the handle to release
it. Now pull the lever back towards you until it locks.
That one quick and
easy action retracted the two mains and the tail wheel! Also notice that
you don’t have to trim her now, the drag of the wheels in their down
position was causing the nose pressure. In all likelihood you will also
notice that you have picked up a couple of mph in airspeed to.
For electric retract just flip the protective cap off the electric switch, and use
the electric hydraulic system to lift the mains and tail wheel, again in
one smooth single motion.
So lets do a 180 and
head north to the lake. Before we turn lets check for traffic. The
visibility is panoramic. You can see clearly to the left, right
forward and back. The one area that you will not be able to see is up
and back over your head because of the wings.
The SeaRey has a very effective rudder, located directly
in the prop blast, making it very rudder dominate. So feed in a little
left rudder, follow it around with the stick, and then as you reach the
180 mark start bringing both rudder and aileron out together, until you
are flying straight and level again.
You will notice that there is a little pressure on the
stick when using the ailerons, but they are very effective and once you
get use to using the stick, rudders, and ailerons together you will be
amazed at how well this old girl can maneuver both in the air and on the
water.
Apply a little power and climb out to about 2,000 feet,
level off. Now slowly start bring the power pack while keeping the plane
level. At around 60 mph the plane will get a little mushy and then drop
it's nose, about 75 feet later you are flying again. Climb back up to
altitude and level off, now deploy one notch of flap. Start bringing
your power back, keep the plane as level as you can with the stick at
just over 55 mph the plane will drop it's nose and start flying in about
50 feet. Once again apply power and climb out, level off, since you
still have one notch of flap on deploy a second notch. Bring the power
back while keeping the plane level. Just under 50 mph the plane will get
mushy and at 45 it will stall, as you release pressure on the stick it
will immediately start flying.
One of the reasons for this gentle stall is that the
factory has installed short leading edge extensions about 75% of the way
down the wing. These help prevent the wings from stalling because they
provide extra surface area and are at a different angle relative to the
wing, which prevents the wing tip from stalling.
There is a time during take off when pilots should be a
little more cautious about stalling. That is just after take off, with
flaps extended, as they clear ground effect. Dropping flaps with a fully
loaded plane, in mid summer conditions, while the plane is in the 50 to
55 mph range can really get your attention quickly. Okay let's set up for
our first water landing. We are going to do this by setting up our
circuit at about 750 feet to inspect the area we are going to land in.
Check for boats, water skiers, swimmers, rocks or other objects on or
just below the surface.
Flags, trees, and the direction the
bull rushes are blowing in will give you your wind direction. We will be
landing directly into the wind, and as close to the shore as safely
possible. I will normally also try to land within site of a fisherman or
parked boat. These are just precautions, landing near shore will let
people get to you, or you get to shore, and within site of a boat or
fisherman will usually mean someone can quickly reach you if you require
assistance! Okay everything is
a go. Let's slide our doors open and set up on final. Ease back on the
power to just above an idle. Give one more check to make sure that the
gear is UP. Slow her down to about 75 and deploy a notch of flap.
Slower her down to 65 and deploy another notch of flap. We will be
approaching to land at 65 with a little nose down attitude.
At 20 feet start to level the
plane, at 10 feet you should be level. Now just apply a little back
pressure on the stick. What we want to do is land with the nose section
level, which will put ONLY the step area in the water. The tail and nose
will be in the air. At 45 mph the step touches, just play with the stick
and throttle to keep the plane on the step.
Now that you are on the step you can
have a little fun. Use power to keep the plane
cruising across the water! In most planes you would be worried about
water from the hull hitting the prop, not on the SeaRey. You can go
straight ahead, even turn left and right without anything coming up into
the prop. While there is spray it is directed away from the prop area.
As you turn on the water you will find the ailerons are
very effective. Even as you turn into the crosswind you still have full
control and can keep both sponsons level about 15 inches off the water.
Okay back the power down to idle. The plane with settle down into the
water, with a little rocking motion. With the engine at an idle you
still have full control. One of the reasons is that the SeaRey has a
little water rudder located at the rear of the hull. Another reason is
the large rudder and it's close proximity to the prop blast.
Editors Note: The SeaRey has had three different hull
configurations since her introduction. They are referred to as the A, B,
and C hulls. This report is based on the A hull, which takes a little
more finesse to land. According to the factory the latest C model is a
lot easier to land.
Okay let's take her over to the beach and see how she comes out of the
water. Okay drop the gear and check the locks to make sure they are
engaged. As you near the shore the wheels come into contact with the
sandy bottom. Hold pressure on the stick as you apply power to
compensate for the extra drag.
Be careful as you clear the water
the plane will pick up speed. Also watch it if you have to turn quickly
as the tail wheel might not have locked firmly into position.
Now if you were really familiar with the beach, and knew
that there were no rocks etc. you could have just left the gear up and
powered the plane up onto the beach on it's belly and turned it around.
Sometimes you might want to do this if the bottom is very muddy and the
wheels get stuck in the mud.
Just REMEMBER the gear is NOT meant
to be used to LIFT the plane, trying to do so could damage the gear
retract mechanism. Okay let's
turn her around and get her back into the water. If you are coming down
a ramp you will generally find the plane will pick up speed and then as
it hits the water throw up a little bit of splash, which will usually
come back and hit you. So if you don't want to get wet use the brakes to
keep her under control. Okay
retract the gear and set her up for take off. You've still got two
notches of flap on, so point her into the wind. Again bring the stick
back just forward of neutral and start applying power. As power is
applied and the planes tail will lift, gently start applying back back
pressure until the plane comes up on the step. Depending on the
conditions of the water and wind she should lift off at 45 mph in 200 to
300 feet, or in about 8 seconds!
Now you can again have some fun!
Leave the flaps down, level the plane at 4 to 5 feet above the deck.
Back down on the power until you are just skimming along above the water
in ground effect at 55 to 60 mph. You could do this for hours along
miles and miles of shoreline, waving a boaters, cottagers, sunbathers.
If you get tired of doing that climb
out to about 500 feet drop you flaps and find some guy that has a half
million dollar Cigarette boat flying across the lake. If your lucky you
will catch him when he is going down wind. Now pull alongside him a safe
distance away. He was probably only using half throttle so when he sees
you he will try to accelerate away. Again drop down into ground effect,
you will find you can skim along reading 80 to 90 mph at about 60
percent power. Add to that a 10 to 15 mph tailwind and the poor guy
doesn't have a chance. Just to add insult to injury, accelerate past him
and then pull up and away!
Okay, okay, we're suppose to be doing a flight report! Let's slide the
doors closed, and see what kind of noise we have. Most SeaRey owners
insulate the rear cockpit area behind the seats with sheets of foam
insulation. This sound proofing makes the SeaRey a very comfortable
aircraft to fly with the doors closed. While the engine and prop can
still be heard the sound is more of a purr than a roar.
We have now been flying for about 3 hours, flown around
the shores of a lake that is 60 miles long and nearly 40 miles wide.
Beached the plane on a couple of occasions. Driven up on shore a couple
of times. Flown from speeds of 55 to 110 mph at altitudes of 2 to 2,000
feet.
Taken off and landed half a dozen
times, traveled on the step for miles, and we still have fuel left in
our 18 gallon tank (optional 28 gallon tank available) for another hour
or so of flight. But we have to get back as the sun is starting to set!
Turn on the front landing lights, wing tip strobes, and
positioning lights and lets head on back to our land base. We are on
final just over a mile from home, sitting at 1800 feet. Let's back the
power down to idle and see how she glides. Use the electric trim on the
stick to trim her for 80 mph. Look through the windshield and pick
something out on the airfield about half way down the runway. Aim the
plane towards it as if it is traveling on a cable. If the object starts
to rise on the windshield we are probably going to come up a little
short, if it drops we are too high.
See how the object keeps dropping
out of site! Despite
the fact that this old girl has to carry her floats around on her all
the time she sure glides nice! Okay were down to about 800 feet slower
her down to 70 and drop a notch of flap. Now 600 feet drop in another
notch! Were now down to 400 feet and approaching to land at 65 mph.
What a beautiful, uneventful,
relaxing flight, EXCEPT we've FORGOTTEN to drop the gear!!!!! Okay
relax, just hit the release lock and drop them! Your down to 20 feet
start to level her off, level at 10, hold her off in ground effect, and
set her down in a nice gentle three point stance.
Again be careful the tail wheel may
not have locked into it's locking position, just keep her straight, and
the movement of the rudder back and forth will lock it. You will feel
the pressure on the rudder pedals when it does.
Okay let the engine idle down for two or three minutes,
and then shut it off. You can now get out and pull her back into the
hangar. The tail wheel will kick free, rotate 180 degrees to let you
pull her back. Slowly pull her back being careful that
the wheel doesn't get caught on something, if it does STOP and find out
what is stopping it. If you don't you could break the retract cable. For
this reason you should never push your SeaRey backwards from the nose. |
